Frequently Asked Questions

The Add line button, no where to enter the gross pay or everything disabled

The recent version does not by default add a blank line. So if you don't have somewhere to put the gross pay, you just need to click the Add line button.

Closely held payees

This page from the ATO, https://www.ato.gov.au/business/single-touch-payroll/concessional-reporting/closely-held-payees/ outlines some concessions for reporting STP for closely held payees. There is no special set up required in FAS 3 Desktop for this. Simply choosing the appropriate dates you can report to the ATO. The options are:

  1. Enter all the pay slips like a non closely held.
  2. As in 1 but only lodge the last one each quarter.
  3. As in 2 but total that all up and enter it in one pay slip and lodge that.
  4. Do 3 but use an reasonable estimate.

Refer to the ATO page about how to comply with each option. We recommend using option 1. The reason is that you have to produce a pay slip so why not just lodge it. We think this is the best way to comply with all your obligations, including super.

On this page I will be putting answers to Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) that do not (yet) have a video to address them. Please check this page prior to contacting us.

The recent news video covers some of the main FAQs at this point.

Note: if you click through to You Tube you can ask a question in the You Tube comments and read others comments as well.

Which version to I need

There are 3 options:

  1. The desktop software FAS 3 Desktop - With a locally stored file (aka MyBusiness.fas file).
  2. The desktop software FAS 3 Desktop - With a cloud file (hosted by BAS Off, www.basoff.com.au)
  3. The www.basoff.com.au web browser based version.

I consider option 2 to be the best.

Option 1 is intended for micro businesses that are seeking something really simple.

Option 2 is the best version we have and has the features that are most like our previous cloud software (version 2). Particularly if you are switching from our old software choose option 2.

Option 3 is for the situation where you need an online version but for some reason cannot install the desktop client. It's not intended to implement all the features of option 2.

How to grant access to another user

Using FAS 3 Desktop the other user needs to click on: their name -> Edit FAS identity -> View public certificate. Then copy the public certificate and email it to you.

You then click on the business name and under set up click on File access. Then Add certificate and past in the certificate and Check certificate, Grant access.

Note that this page will let you know if the user has verified their identity. If they have not verified their identity you get a warning and obviously need to make sure you are granting access to the correct person. Note that any user can call themselves whatever name they want.

 

If you are using www.basoff.com.au in the web browser I still need to set up the user access page, email admin@basoff.com.au for assistance to set it up. If using BAS Off but with the FAS 3 Desktop client this can be set up on the file access page as described above.

How to amend a pay slip/batch

If you have lodged the STP batch, then you have 2 options.

  1. On the STP lodge page, click Amend. Then go and fix the pay slip and then redo the lodge.
  2. Enter a new batch with an adjustment pay slip (for the difference). Then lodge that batch. Sometimes, lodging the batch may not be possible if there was a negative amount in a place that does not allow a negative. In that case you do a third batch and enter a zero dollar pay slip, it picks up the YTD totals and you lodge that as an Update. (An update is a lodge but click the Update button on the lodge page).

If you have already amended the batch once you cannot amend it again. So then option 2 is your only option.

Choosing with method to use is a judgement call. The down side of option 1 is that you are changing a document that was sent to the ATO and the history of that lodged document is lost. Although this is not such a big deal as the corrected version is more important. You could keep a copy in a back up file as well, but it might be more trouble than it's worth. Or you have the information in the pdfs of the pay slips.

How do I print

F -> PDF current page.

There are 2 options, one includes the blanks. On things like a tax return there are always a lot of questions that are not applicable and not filled in. In that case the pdf excluding blanks can save a lot of paper.

The employee is not visible in the list

You probably did not give the Counterparty a Legal name.

I can't select the account that I want on the pay slip

The account selections are filtered by the account's Payment/deduction type.

In the Earnings section on the pay slip the selectable accounts are the ones with Payment/deduction types of Earnings, Deduction, Receivable or Payable.

In the time section the selectable accounts are those with Payment/deduction type Time

The super and additional super/fbt section displays accounts with Payment/deduction type of Other or blank.

The leave section, which is only available when your file is a BAS Off (cloud) file only displays accounts where the Payment/deduction type is Leave. Although this section is all automatically calculated anyway.

 

A bit of a gotcha is that if you've change the Payment/deduction type for your superannuation expense account it will be blank on the pay slip. I'll go a separate FAQ.

When I save the pay slip it says no account selected and there is a blank on Super expense.

Check the Payment/deduction type on your superannuation expense account. It should be Other.

In the first template chart of accounts the default super expense account was Employer super expense, then it was renamed to Employer - Super compulsory (or somthing similar).

The superannuation account should also be an expense account.

I cannot delete an unused batch

Cancel/Send to trash, all the transactions on that batch. Then go to the trash and permanently delete those transactions that were on the batch or all trash. Then you can delete the batch.

Setting up electronic lodgements

If you are using a FAS 3 Desktop locally stored file then the software uses your Machine Credential to lodge. There is no software subscription ID. Refer to the Machine Credential video and the ATO Plugin Install video.

If your data is stored on BAS Off (cloud) you need to nominate BAS Off Pty Ltd as your "Hosted SBR software service" with the ATO. This can be done in access manager at https://am.ato.gov.au or by phone 1300 85 22 32. You need to specify your Software Subscription ID and BAS Off Pty Ltd as the hosted software service. You Software Subscription ID is displayed near the lodge button on any lodgement page. To nominated us as your "Hosted SBR software service", you may need the ABN for BAS Off Pty Ltd which is, 27 619 246 598, but you can usually just find it in the list.